TRADING IN TENNIS RACKETS FOR WEDDING RINGS
by SLYSWN
Summary: Summary: The invitations have been sent out…everyone is coming to Kirihara Akaya's wedding…the only question on everyone's mind is…who is the lucky bride or…groom? (AU AkaRyo, others)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Konomi-sensei's Tennis no Oujisama/Prince of Tennis world or its characters!

A/N I'm writing this because Tenipuri deserves more love and so does the underappreciated Kirihara AkayaxEchizen Ryoma pair. You call it crack/nonexistent? That's your opinion. I like it and think that if some events had played out differently it could have had a real chance to shine. Of course I'm not exactly sure how detailed/explicit I intend to take this …haven't decided yet but I want to clarify things now. This fic will be rated M for the moment. I also am not sure how long this will be…I suppose until I run out of ideas for it…heh. Hope those of you who have tuned into my AkaRyo in the past will find this enjoyable and worth a read as well.

Warnings: AU (but not entirely) Time-skip/Post Canon, OOC-ness,fast-paced, humor language, grammar, viewpoint switching, punctuation, loose-plot, crack-elements, mentions of side and/or past pairings. Please consider yourself warned.

Summary: The invitations have been sent out…everyone is coming to Kirihara Akaya's wedding…the only question on everyone's mind is…who is the lucky bride or…groom?

Trading in Tennis Rackets for Wedding Rings

Part 001 AkaRyo

Kirihara Akaya is getting married. 24 is a good time to settle down or rather it would be more accurate to say that Akaya has decided to get married because he's not sure how much longer his lover will wait around for him.

'_I have plenty of suitors lined up so you need to make up your mind and tell me now…do you wanna do this thing or not?'_

_Words uttered by Echizen Ryoma only a few short months ago. _

And while it was certainly not the most romantic of proposals Akaya had ever received-well actually it's the only proposal he's ever received-and so he'll take what he can get. And he is definitely getting the best. Getting hitched to the original prince of tennis himself. The same arrogant rookie who blew into Japan like a tsunami with only a tennis racket, a baseball cap, a cocky attitude and a life time supply of Ponta at his disposal-leaving Akaya speechless and positively smitten.

()()

Okay in all fairness that's not quite how things played out…but Akaya likes to tell his colleagues, family and any who is willing to listen that meeting Echizen Ryoma was a bit like destiny.

()()

"I was a brat. He was a brat. I thought I knew everything. He thought he knew everything. We both held little to no respect for our upper classmen but had warm fuzzy (not-so-secret) crushes on our captains. And above all else Ryoma (at the time he was just "Echizen") hated to lose. I hated to lose. Our first match was unofficial…for the longest time I denied it because my pride just wouldn't let me state otherwise but Ryoma had beat me fair and square not that he escaped unscathed mind you…in truth if Sanada-fukubuchou hadn't shown up when he had I'm pretty sure I probably woulda sent my lil' prince to the hospital. But I rather not think about the days of my bad temper and focus on happier or at least more cordial moments between us."

The man in the gray lab coat nods in affirmation and Akaya takes it as his cue to continue

"You'll come to my wedding won't ya doc?"

"Mm hmm."

The Novocain is only just starting to kick in but it hardly matters to Akaya, "Good. Great. Yeah so anyway our first official real breakthrough all started when were away at a training camp…there was this girl…annoying little twit really who wouldn't stop pestering me…fact I think she was obsessed with me but anyway that's neither here nor there….an incident happened…"I fell down the stairs" and since I wasn't exactly the most likable guy everyone figured I probably deserved it…but not Ryo…he was the one who set things right…he was only one who willingly approached and challenged me to a match…around the same time back at school time this annoying loud mouthed blond foreigner showed up. I gotta tell ya doc I don't really get why Americans are so damn rude or why they can't pronounce words properly but that's hardly the point..."

()()

Ryoma certainly has no objections to Akaya's spin on their history together (at least not to Akaya's knowledge anyway) –so long Akaya never forgets whose the better tennis player…so long as he doesn't get in the way of Ryoma's winning streak the prince will let Rikkai's former devil ace say anything he wants-well almost. When it comes to personal private matters like who takes the reins in the bedroom Ryoma he is tightlipped and expects Akaya to remain tightlipped as well.

But of course anyway whose anyone already knows who runs the show behind closed doors. Akaya is not the one to bend over –well baring that one time many many many years ago during the U-17 camp training camp when a certain bible genius cornered him in the equipment room after lights out but that is for Akaya's little black diary of top secrets to take to the grave. A diary that is hidden in a safe that no one (not even the Data Dweeb Trio Inui, Yanagi and Mizuki) can crack and decode.

Even if Akaya became careless one day or his luck ran out and Ryoma discovered his deep dark secret he wouldn't bother denying it because in the end Shiraishi had done them both a favor. Great deal of many perks had come out of having once hooked up with the perfectionist-the magical tricks of that bandaged hand-yeah Akaya didn't regret it one bit.

Thanks to Shiraishi, Akaya is an absolute demon in sack and few can measure up to his mad skills. Of course this isn't the only reason Ryoma picked him…it isn't the only reason the prince stays with Akaya…if it were just about sexual prowess he'd have chosen Atobe-san instead.

Akaya snarls viciously at the thought. He doesn't hate Atobe-san. How could he possibly hate a talented, charming, intelligent, filthy rich guy like Atobe-san? He just doesn't trust Atobe-san is all.

Does Akaya have a reason to think such thoughts? To feel jealous? And yes sometimes even insecure? Sure he does because (as much as his darling Ryo dares to deny it) there has always been a certain something between the two royals of the tennis court. Behind the taunting and the nicknames there is something deeper.

Why neither Ryoma nor Atobe-san have chosen to act on their attraction towards one another? Well in all honesty Akaya isn't entirely convinced that nothing hasn't happened. He doesn't know much about expensive colognes or fancy wine but he does know what everyone else knows Atobe-san is a wealthy bastard and the heir of the Atobe Corp can buy anything he wants including a night with Ryoma.

Many times his lover has disappeared for days…sometimes weeks and while he does have a very busy schedule what with being a professional tennis player and all Akaya is quite sure Ryoma has never cared about things like plush robes or European Literature before but well… time does change a person-he himself has changed a lot since his "demon-days"…so maybe Ryo wasn't cheating on him?

()

Still one would think…many would think/call Akaya a damn fool for wanting to marry a person who might not even be loyal to him? If he had so many doubts why go through with it?

Perhaps Akaya is a fool and maybe he'll live to regret his decision or maybe Ryoma won't even bother showing up at the wedding alter and maybe the world will stop spinning? Life was full of what ifs and maybe's but Akaya hardly cares about that. All he knows is he loves Ryoma and if any one is worth taking a chance on then it's the prince.

Nothing will stop Akaya from setting a date, contacting a wedding planner, seeking the best advice from his older sister or grinning like a damn idiot as he waltzes into a fancy little European Bakery on Tuesday afternoon after work.

"I don't care about the cost…I need you to create the best wedding cake this world has ever seen."

()()

The wedding is only 2 and a half weeks away and Akaya (at the suggestion/demand) of his sister is hand writing the invitations. His fiancé, Ryoma is soaking in the king size bubble bath over in the next room or at least Akaya thought the younger man was in the bubble bath, hearing the familiar sound of feet pattering across the floor and then feeling wet fingertips at the nape of his neck speak otherwise.

()()

TBC


	2. TRWR 2

Disclaimer: I AM NOT KONOMI-SENSEI!

A/N The sole reviewer for the first part made a lot of good points and asked some good questions. My response…in the land of fanfiction…expect just about anything. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR DROPPING A REVIEW and… thanks to those who are reading!

Warnings: AU, OOC-ness, switching view points, etc.

()()

TRADING IN TENNIS RACKETS FOR WEDDING RINGS

The wedding is only 2 and a half weeks away and Akaya (at the suggestion/demand) of his sister is hand writing the invitations. His fiancé, Ryoma is soaking in the king size bubble bath over in the next room or at least Akaya thought the younger man was in the bubble bath, hearing the familiar sound of feet pattering across the floor and then feeling wet fingertips at the nape of his neck speak otherwise. Akaya releases a sigh of content and hears Ryoma murmur something but it's said to low to understand.

Akaya sets down his reading glasses (granted he'll never pull off he lovely megane-bishi look like Yagyuu but they served their purpose) and turned towards his lover, nearly having a nosebleed at the sight of the other man.

Yes a nosebleed at 24 and with good reason. Akaya will never tire of Ryoma's fresh out of a hot bath look, his green-tinted black locks of hair falling into his sharp angled golden eyes, naturally tanned cheeks lightly flushed, tiny droplets of water dripping from his lightly muscled chest, forearms and taut abdomen, a ridiculously small towel wrapped around his slim waist.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer." Ryoma's voice is deadpan but his eyes are grinning up at Akaya. The sea-weed haired man has been hunched over the desk for most of the afternoon so he really should take a break, at least Ryoma thinks so anyway.

"Heh, there's no need when the image of you is firmly burned into my mind."

'_What a charmer.'_ Actually it isn't complete sarcasm his lover can indeed be quite the smooth talker when he wants to be…it's one of the reasons Ryoma gave Akaya a chance in the first place.

Akaya full out grins and then pulls Ryoma down into his lap and starts to nibble at his earlobe. If the other man had tried a stunt like this a few years back he wouldn't have gotten very far since the prince didn't care much for being manhandled like some rag doll or snacked on like a chew toy. But these days Ryoma only lightly protested to Akaya's petting.

"Just don't leave any damn hickeys this time."

Ryoma's opponents didn't take him very seriously when he showed up at the tennis court with big reddish-purple marks littering his skin-not to mention how embarrassing it had been when his former buchou was on the other side of the net. Granted, being who he was, Tezuka hadn't outwardly commented on the "love-bites" but his hazel-brown eyes had strayed from the tennis ball several times during their match and at match point his serves had suddenly increased in power and…Ryoma shook his head determined to banish the disaster "welcome home" match he'd had with the other man.

"I hope you left me some hot water this time, Ryo."

"Hn. Didn't really feel like it."

"What do you mean you didn't feel like it? I pay half the bills around here and so I deserve a hot shower one in a while don't I?"

Akaya isn't mad or even irritated and Ryoma knows it which is why his next response is, "I don't see the point since you spend more time horsing around with that mutt of yours instead of actually bathing."

"I do what with my mutt?" Even though it secretly sort of turns Akaya on when his lover slips English words or phrases into his sentences from time to time he's not sure if he should feel offended or not. "And hey watch it! You'll hurt Inabauer's feelings."

Ryoma rolls his eyes "I still think that is the stupidest name you could have come up with for Gokutora's pup."

Akaya scoffs "Like calling a cat that might as well be a wild raccoon Karupin is any better."

"Che, whatever at least Karupin doesn't slobber on everything."

"No but he does shed constantly. I can't even brush my teeth or shave my face in the morning without finding his fur all over the place."

The two lovers glare at each other and then break out into light laughter. It is another testament to how far Akaya and Ryoma have come.

At the beginning stages of their relationship Akaya's little pug was forced to stay outside while Karupin had been allowed to roam around their apartment at his leisure. And at the beginning the two animals were constantly at war making it impossible for Akaya and Ryoma to enjoy a quiet evening without the constant sounds of Karupin's yowls and Inabauer's barking.

"Anyway now that I'm here sitting in your lap are you going to do something about _this_!" At 'this' Ryoma tugs on his quickly rising erection. In truth he had already been at half-mast before he entered the office room. A result to having a little bit of fun time during his bath.

He would have asked Akaya to join but interrupting the other man while he was concentration so hard had seemed a bit cruel so he waited awhile. Not that Akaya was aware of any of this.

Akaya grinned devilishly and nipped at Ryoma's ear again, "What's the magic word?"

There was no magic word. Akaya just felt like teasing the smaller man. And why? Because it fun.

"Bastard." Ryoma hissed through his teeth before grabbing Akaya's hands and placing them exactly where he wanted them to be. "Hurry up and fulfil your wifely duties and get me off!"

Green eyes flashed in warning and Akaya squeezed Ryoma's swollen flesh, finding a not-so-secret delight when his lover released a shameless moan and thrust into his fist, "The only _wife_ here is you Ryo, and you're always such a demanding little _bitch_ aren't you?"

Bastard. Wife. Bitch. The terms were merely like pet names. Neither man was truly offended. If they had been they never would have gotten to this point in the first place.

Ryoma snorted, "Well some ones gotta take the initiative Akaya 'else you never would have popped my man cherry."

Popping the prince's man cherry, yeah that had been one hell of a victory. Even til' this day Akaya could hardly believe he'd been so damn lucky especially since Ryoma had had several opportunities and shit-tons of suitors to fulfil the role.

He paused in his ministrations for a moment in order to ask his fiancé a question he always wanted to ask but didn't until now. "Why did you pick me?"

Not wanting to supply his lover with the real reason Ryoma decided to echo the familiar words that Coach Nyudo had once said, "You were there. That's all."

It was lazy and perhaps even cowardly way out and Ryoma was quite sure that Akaya didn't buy it for a minute but the other man didn't push the issue either.

And for that Ryoma was grateful. Because the prince did not fancy digging up demons from his closet. They were buried far back for a reason. He was sure the former devil ace had his own share of demons as well.

A moment of silence fell over the pair and then Akaya released a sigh and cradled his lover close to him and murmured, "Well all that matters now is that you're here and your mine."

Akaya didn't whisper sweet nothings in Ryoma's ear often. It just wasn't his style. Likewise the prince wasn't exactly the most romantic of souls but every now and then…

"Til death do us part…or until the Monkey King and his merry band of royal idiots kill you off," a cheeky grin "whichever comes first."

Akaya's grin became a little bit strained at the mention of Atobe. "Why do you always got to bring that guy up especially since you claim to dislike him so much and why the nickname?"

Rather than being straight forward Ryoma deflected the question with a question of his own, "What have you been doing out here all afternoon anyway?"

Akaya released another sigh and decided to let the Atobe issue drop…at least for the moment. "Forget it right now I'd rather find out how fast I can make you come…maybe I can even break last times record?"

()

Akaya plants a quick kiss on Ryoma's mouth and then wipes the excess come off on his jeans, laughing lightly when his lover twitches his nose in disgust and ties the towel back around his slim waist.

"So seriously what are you doing?"

"Well…if you really want to know Ryo why don't you take a look?"

Without waiting for the other man's response Akaya places his glasses back on his face and skims through his hand written invitations. Feeling pretty damn proud of himself. All and all it's not looking half bad.

He can feel Ryoma coming up from behind and peeking over his shoulder once more, "Why did you just write my initials and not my full name?"

Akaya scratches his head, "Well you see not many people except for my parents and my sis know about you-well I sometimes mention your name to my dentist but I doubt the guy pays attention to my rambling anyway so…

"That doesn't really answer my question Akaya but I suppose it's not that big of a deal. After all half the nation thinks I'm in some sick and twisted on again/off again relationship with Ryuzaki and I've never bothered correcting them so I guess everyone will find out at once."

It Akaya's turn to scrunch up his nose in distaste. "Ryuzaki? Why her? Couldn't you at least lead the world to believe that you're in a relationship with another man since you've only ever showed interest in your own _**team**_ anyway?"

"Too much work besides I kind of like having you all to myself right now."

True enough. Akaya can't find a reason to argue with that. Still…"You'd be singing a different tune if I winded up going pro too, Ryo we both know you would."

Ryoma didn't bother say anything further as he quietly snatched up what Akaya had written and quickly read it.

"Well?" If Akaya were a dog his tail would be wagging as he eagerly awaited Ryoma's reply. "Thoughts? Comments?"

The prince smirked, "Mada mada dane, Akaya." And then disappeared into the next room to get dressed.

()

Akaya wishing for a better explanation followed his lover, "Explain yourself…what's wrong with it?"

Ryoma didn't bother turning around as he rummaged through his dresser drawer, "There's nothing wrong with it per se it just sounds boring."

Boring? Akaya frowned and then came up behind Ryoma and nibbled on his favorite ear, "Then help me make it better Ryo."

In truth he didn't know how either of them would be able to make a wedding invitation sound more exciting but he was open to suggestions. It was to be an important day for both of them after all.

()()

TBC


	3. TRWR 3

Disclaimer: All rights go to Konomi-sensei…yeah!

A/N Well now look at that this fic is actually grabbing the attention of a handful of viewers…what a pleasant surprise! Thank you for your lovely reviews…I will do my best to keep you entertained!

Chapters are short but will probably lengthen with time.

Warnings: AU but not entirely, **UBER** OOC-ness, punctuation, spelling, grammar, run-ons, view point switching, AkaRyo other pairings including but limited to YagyuuxNiou, etc

TRADING IN TENNIS RACKETS FOR WEDDING RINGS

Akaya is getting married and expects everyone to witness what will surely be either the greatest or worst day of his young life. For the sake of everyone to live on in peace one Yagyuu Hiroshi hopes that his former kouhai knows exactly what he has signed up for. Marriage is a big life-long commitment…well perhaps not life-long just until one is old and gray but it's the same thing really.

And Akaya, wasn't exactly the type to commit at least the way Yagyuu remembered it. Then again the gentleman hadn't spoken to the seaweed devil in years so maybe just maybe Akaya had matured. Maybe he was ready to commit himself to one person.

For the young brides sake Yagyuu certainly hoped so. Along with commitment issues Akaya had also had a difficulty with showing up to important events and occasions on time in the past. Often more than not the troublesome 2nd year had repeatedly fallen asleep on the bus or a train and wound up on the other side of town.

It was only by the good grace of Kami-sama himself that the Rikkaidai tennis team hadn't had to shame their school and everything they stood for and forfeit several matches when Akaya pulled his thoughtless little stunts.

()

_Not that Akaya didn't have his fair share of good qualities because he certainly did. Fun, easy-going, sometimes even cute (the way puppies and kittens were cute especially while he napped on the rooftops of buildings or the gardens just outside the sports arenas). _

_He was rumored to be a bit of an artist well…if one considered defacing public property with neon spray cans art that is. _

_And eventually everyone warmed up to him. Shades of affection lay beneath layers of Sanada's uber pimp slaps from hell, Yukimura's already soft tone softened even more when Akaya grinned that not-so-angelic smile of his. For all the whining and crying Jackal had made about having to empty his wallet each time Akaya was around, he would always go out of his way year after year and buy Akaya the biggest Christmas gift on the market, Marui willingly shared his specialized sweet cakes with Akaya and Niou teased Akaya for his "girly"-sounding name and put ribbons in his unruly black hair- all of this based on Yanagi's careful observations and data analyzing. _

_()_

Akaya was kind of like that annoying little brother who you just couldn't stay angry at because he didn't know any better. Try as you might…you just couldn't bring yourself to hate the guy.

Well… being a true gentleman in every sense of the word hatred was something Yagyuu was incapable of feeling. Still…

'_**Would it kill him to pick up a dictionary once in a while?'**_

No longer a teen. No longer a tennis player, Akaya's grammatical skills were as dreadful as ever-perhaps even worse.

Yagyuu frowned at the invitation and wondered why his former kouhai had decided to write part of the invitation in English. BAD ENGLISH. VERY BAD ENGLISH.

Rubbing the sides of his temples and slipping his glasses away from his face Yagyuu released a long suffering and highly exaggerated sigh and fell back on to his bed. He felt the mattress shift just slightly and realized that his platinum haired lover is finally awakening from his long slumber.

Hair for once free from its trademark rat-tail style Niou Masaharu sits up, murmurs a sleepy good morning and then asks, "What's the fuss all about?"

Yagyuu frowns and wordlessly passes Niou the invitation.

Demin-blues scan over the invitation before widening just marginally and a smirk makes its way on to the tricksters face. "_Pupina."_

"Yes I know we should be happy for Akaya but why didn't he just have a professional write it for him like normal people."

Niou laughs and kisses away the little lines of frustration on Yagyuu's forehead. "Akaya-chaaaan can't help being a bit slow but look at the bright side, with any luck his bride will do all the thinkin' for him."

His lover makes a good point. And that's probably the reason Yagyuu puts up with him. Well part of it anyway.

"You may be right. I guess the only question remaining now is, who is the bride?"

Yagyuu doesn't have much time ponder this question as Niou quickly moves in to distract him easily swinging his long legs around in order to straddle the gentleman, a position which Yagyuu will admit (if only in the privacy of his own thoughts) he will never tire of. Just as he will never tire of the tricksters perfect heart-shaped ass fitting perfectly into his open palms.

Wedding invitation and BAD ENGLISH forgotten for the moment Yagyuu indulges himself in what he has fondly come to dub as "Niou-kun-time" though it's a bit ridiculous that even after all this time neither Yagyuu nor his lover call each other by their first names.

()

Niou doesn't keen and whine and cry out like a horny bitch who can't control himself-the trickster always (ALWAYS) makes the gentleman work for it and he knows Yagyuu wouldn't have it any other way.

()

Beside the bed on the dresser Yagyuu's cellphone goes off and he chooses to ignore it. Niou on the other hand stops mid-grind and displays the kind of acrobatic skill that would make a guy like Kikumaru beam with pride, performing a backwards crab walk in order to answer the phone.

Doing a perfect impression of his lover as he greets the person on the other end "_Moshi-moshi!"-_even though Niou doesn't know who is on the other end since the caller is choosing to be cowardly and remain "ANONMYOUS"- however he has a pretty good guess of who ANON is when he hears an all too familiar "Fshuuuuuuu" sound rather than actual human speech and then a dial tone which signifies the universal "hang up/disconnect" signal.

Niou can't decide if he's more amused or more annoyed that a certain former bandana idiot tennis player has his boyfriends' number.

"Who was it?" Yagyuu asks after a moment.

Niou isn't the jealous type. That would require too much energy. He is however very curious and suddenly "sleepy morning-sex" doesn't seem all that appealing especially when he now has a mystery to solve.

The trickster slips off the bed completely ignoring Yagyuu's multiple questions, gathers up his clothes that still lay in a jumbled pile on the floor from where he left them during last night's not-so-little rendezvous and heads to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Niou needs to look and smell his best before setting off to confront his opponent after all.

()()

Yagyuu would be alarmed by Niou's actions if he hadn't known that this day would eventually come about. Actually it is a bit of relief that his lover has made the discovery and that the truth has come out.

Because while Yagyuu is indeed in love with Niou-kun and wouldn't trade his former doubles partner for the world he has also held a great deal of interest in Kaidou-kun for quite a number of years and is silently thrilled that the younger man is finally warming up to him.

Sometimes even a gentleman deserves to have his cake and eat it too.

Yagyuu has no disillusions about how things will play out when Niou and Kaidou face off. He's expecting a fair bit of snarling and hissing in the beginning but after a while things will settle down and from then on it can only be…_**pure bliss.**_

The gentleman's gaze returns to the wedding invitation and he can't help but smile. '_Sorry Akaya-kun but it seems I'll be upstaging you and your bride to be (whoever she may be) on your own wedding day when I enter the room with not just one but two beauties at my side.'_

()()

"Achooo!"

Ryoma glared at his lover from across the table as the sea-weed haired man sneezed into the pit of his arm. "Akaya that's the tenth time you've sneezed in the past 28 minutes you better not be catching a cold with our wedding date right around the corner."

2 and a half weeks isn't exactly right around the corner but still..there wouldn't be much of a honey moon if the other man had snot dripping from his nose and a mountain of Kleenex boxes surrounding him like a forte. Not to mention Ryoma didn't want to spend his honey moon playing "nurse" to Akaya.

He's done it once before and does not wish to do it again.

Akaya wipes at his nose with a tablecloth and waves his lovers worries away "Don't worry so much Ryo I'm not catching a cold or anything like that. I just have a feeling someone or perhaps a couple of people are talking about me right now."

()()

"_Haaah?_ What d'you mean Echizen's getting married?"

"Exactly what I've just said Momoshiro, Echizen is getting married."

"To who? When? Where? How is it that I don't know any of this when I'm his best friend-well one of his best friends but that's really not the point! He can't do this-he can't."

"And why can't he Momoshiro?"

"Be-because Ryuzaki is cheating on him."

()()

TBC

**A bit confused? I shall explain some things in the next part and upcoming chapters. Thank you for reading and many thanks to my 3 lovely reviewers: Catkac,**** m4rionett3 and Karen.**


	4. TRWR 4

Pairings: AkaRyo, Others

AU, OOC-ness, etc…

Trading in Tennis Rackets for Wedding Rings

"Your friend Echizen is getting married."

"Haaaah?! What'd you mean Echizen's getting married?" Momoshiro Takeshi's voice was so loud in the small bar it probably could be heard from the next town over.

"Exactly what I've just said Momoshiro, Echizen is getting married." Sengoku Kiyosumi was perfectly calm as he repeated the exciting news. It been pure LUCK that he'd been in the area earlier that same afternoon and caught wind of the name "Echizen" and "wedding bells" and being the social butterfly that he prided himself on being he wanted to share his discoveries with the first person he came across.

That person was Momoshiro. DOUBLE LUCKY!

"To who? When? Where? How is it that I don't know any of this when I'm his best friend?-well one of his best-friends Momo amended after a moment- "But whatever that's not the point! He can't do this-he cant."

Sengoku peered up at Momo, his bright baby blues looking even brighter than normal.

"And why can't he _Momoshiro?"_

Sengoku really couldn't say when it happened…the transformation…the feeling had come up out of no where...one day the idea of chasing cute girls around in skirts just didn't appeal to him-he wound up turning down more women and tossing away more numbers and dinner invites over the past couple of years all so he could spend time with Momoshiro-kun. Yes just "time" he wouldn't ask or demand anything from the younger man though he certainly would like to.

Sengoku…having once been a major fan of the fairer set could easily act as straight as an arrow but sometimes a purr would slip into his tone especially when his crush had that lost-puppy look on his handsome athletic face.

"So…blue."

Momo quickly shook his head and cleared his throat. It was the booze talking…surely had to be the booze he didn't care what his "friends" eyes looked like up close. Didn't care that the older man smelled like baby powder and something uniquely and completely him. Didn't care that Sengoku had a stray tiny red-orange lash at the end of his cheek and that he kind of really wanted to (most definitely) wished to brush it away with his finger. It was the booze…it was messing with his brain. Well that coupled with…

"Because Ryuzaki is cheating on him."

"Cheating? What do you mean?"

'_**Gah! Sengoku! Damn it stop it! Stop torturing me with your eyes!'**_

Momo wanted to scream but didn't instead he downed his final beer for the night and sighed. He just couldn't believe what Sengoku had just told him. Especially not after what he witnessed earlier that same afternoon.

()

_He'd been at his favorite burger joint minding his own business when two familiar figures caught his attention. Always happy to see a friend or rival or fan or classmate from the past Momo wasted no time in wolfing down the last of his meal and rushing over to the pair. Ryuzaki's granddaughter Sakuno had blossomed into quite the flower, though she would still never hold a candle to Tachibana's little sister Ann and Echi-wait that wasn't Echizen, Momo noticed a moment later when the shorter male took off his hat and revealed wild auburn colored hair underneath. _

_The former power player racked his brain for a few minutes trying to place a name with the owners face. _

"_You're or you were Shintenhoujji's Kin something or another right? The first year ace always challenging Echizen back in grade school?"_

_Toyoma Kintaro eyes lit up and without really thinking about it he let go of his girlfriends' hand and bounced up and down much like he had as a middle schooler. "Is Koshimae here?"_

_Momo still felt confused but shook his head. "Eh he he no Echizen isn't here uh-_

_Sakuno took it upon herself to bow, "It's nice to see you again Momoshiro-san."_

_Momo forced himself to smile at the pair on the outside while on the inside his brain was running wild. _

'_**What am I gonna do? What am I gonna tell Echizen? How can this be happening? What should I do? Think Takeshi think!'**_

()()

"Momoshiro-kuuuun you know I don't like it when you space out on me."

()()

()()

_**FLASHBACK U-17 training camp**_

_Perhaps it was just a matter of loneliness or loss or boredom. Maybe it was all three. Whatever it was Ryoma was not taking Tezuka-buchou's sudden departure from the U-17 training camp well. Not in the least. And he wasn't the only one who felt this way, of this the prince was certain. And so he made a decision and decided to fill the void in his heart or at least lighten the weight that he felt in his chest. But when challenging member after member on each opposing team and court wasn't enough Ryoma realized he needed something more. A different type of distraction. _

_()_

"_I have a proposal for you monkey king."_

_Said monkey was sitting underneath one of his specialized custom-made parasols, designer shades covering his insightful blue eyes, a cup of tea in his manicured hand. "What are you talking about Echizen, Ore-sama doesn't have time to play your childish games." _

"_It's not a game and for once it has nothing to do with tennis either."_

_There was a brief pause and then Atobe spoke once more, "This is about Tezuka." Not a question but a statement._

"_Yes. No! Buchou has nothing to do with this." A lie. A big fat lie and unfortunately for the prince the king saw right through him._

_()_

"_Alright brat, out with it!"_

"_I have this __**problem**__ and I think you can help me out with it since after all you have the same problem."_

_It would be too bold of a move not to mention unwise to straddle the monkey king right out in broad day light although the thought was tempting. Simply teasing the older boy with the blunt end of his tennis racket was sure to be enough to get his point across._

_Atobe was no fool and he was far from innocent. Hell the guy was originally from England right and the British were known for their healthy sexual appetites no matter the age so it should be easy to persuade the monkey king._

_Ryoma knew he was attractive or well at the very least he knew he was cute, could even be considered pretty. Atobe liked pretty things so it should be a no brainer._

"_Are you flirting with me, Echizen?"_

_Ryoma scowled as a blush rose to his face. "This has nothing to do with flirting monkey king!" he all but spat, "Why would I flirt with a person I don't even like?"_

"_I don't know __**Ryoma,**__ why would you?"_

_Ryoma blinked and felt his face heat even more. Was Atobe trying to flirt with him now?_

_Crap. What now?_

_()_

_After a long uncomfortable silence the King finally broke the ice._

"_Well if you have nothing further to add, you might as well leave. Ore-sama must get ready for his next match."_

"_Wait! No! You can't go!"_

_Ryoma inwardly cringed at the sudden desperation in his voice._

'_What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I sound so whiny?"_

_Nothing played out the way Ryoma had planned it inside his head. He was supposed to come off cool and a little bit coy. He was supposed to convince the Monkey King to have sex with him so he could get rid of this weird annoying feeling that he felt ever since buchou disappeared._

_But nothing was turning out the way the prince wanted._

_Not even close. Not a smile or a laugh not even a look of carefully concealed pity. No traces of humor to the color the arrogant monkey king' usual tone as things officially clicked in his mind._

_Atobe looked more than just a little bit uncomfortable, hell if he clutched his teacup any harder it would probably shatter. "Ore-sama cannot give you what you want, sorry."_

_()()_

_Being flat-out rejected by Atobe had hurt Ryoma more than he had ever thought possible. _

_But it wasn't the end of the world and there was one other possibility-one other person who could help him out and Ryoma was sure he would not fail again._

_()()_

_Figured he already had an up since Tokugawa had no initial ties to Tezuka in fact he was quite sure the two hadn't even had a verbal exchange during his buchou's short time at the camp. _

_()_

_He found the dark haired older teen right where he expected to find Tokugawa and wasted no time in making his proposal, all but pressing the other boy into the wall. "I need release. I need it now. And I need it from you but before you say anything stupid like "What are you talking about Echizen?" "Did you get hit with one too many balls today?" or "some variation of the two I want you to know that if you do this for me, right here right now I'll never bring it up again."_

_Tokugawa, a teen…(although almost a man) of very few words was quick and to the point as he turned around to give his reply. "I am not going to have meaningless sex with a minor __**especially**__ not a minor who reminds me of my kid brother."_

_Ryoma wasn't called a brat simply for his behavior out on the tennis court. The prince was not going to back down easily, even as the harsh glare of Tokugawa's deep set eyes burned into him. "Nobody has to know. We're just two guys with a common goal, what's the harm?"_

_He wanted to add that this kind of shit always happened in America but figured there was really no reason to since it appeared that Tokugawa was suddenly giving his proposal some serious thought._

"…"

"_Look if it'll put your mind at ease you won't even have to hold me afterwards or whisper sweet nothings in my ear. All I need is a little release."_

_Injecting a slight purr into his sentence would make Tokugawa see just how serious he was, of this Ryoma had no doubt._

_()_

_Sadly the prince was proven wrong yet again as a look of pity/annoyance flashed across Tokugawa's features and he walked away from Ryoma without a word._

_Ryoma knew if he had any sense at all-hell if he felt anything like his normal self he would have left well enough alone and move on to another candidate but he could not would not._

_()_

_And so the chase was on…although it really hadn't been much of a chase at all since Tokugawa wasn't running but-_

_()_

_Nothing was ever simple for Ryoma. Well nothing accept tennis. Tennis was easy. Tennis was fun. Tennis was taking was currently being put on the back burner…well at least until Ryoma was satisfied. In all honesty the prince wasn't really thinking or seeing clearly at the moment. _

_The sudden appearance of a 6'2 solid block of muscle man suddenly standing in his way certainly wasn't helping manners._

"_You're in my way."_

_Byoudin Hoo the so called Pirate of the Tennis Courts. Ryoma was not impressed not in the least._

"_Freshman prodigy or not, middle schoolers don't belong here, run along before you get hurt."_

"_I'm looking for Tokugawa-san (when in the company of strangers Ryoma always did his best to remember his manners) we were having an important conversation."_

_Byoudin grunted in a very beastly and unhuman like manner and rubbed his bearded chin. "Kazu doesn't have time to play with you today."_

_Kazu? What the hell? Since when was Tokugawa on first name basis with his rival?_

_It suddenly dawned on Ryoma and he felt a combination of horrified and embarrassment flood through him._

_Determined not to lose face completely the bratty prince turned up his nose and sneered at Byoudin. "You look like a girl with your long blond hair. Does Tokugawa call you Goldilocks while you're __**doing **__it?"_

_Not waiting for a response, Byoudin's face turning an angry red was more than enough, Ryoma stomped off muttering "Mada mada dane," underneath his breath._

()()()

Ryoma felt someone shaking him roughly but did not stir from his sleep.

()()

_It didn't dawn on the prince until the following week that he'd been going about things all wrong. Of course Atobe and Tokugawa had rejected him. The monkey king had his own obsessions with Tezuka-buchou and probably would have felt like he was betraying the bespectacled teen if he went and fucked Ryoma. And Tokugawa because of two reasons, the first being the large age gap and the second being that goldilocks haired pirate Byoudin. In short Atobe and Tokugawa had way too much damn baggage. Perhaps in the future, like 10 years from now it would be a different story but at the moment Ryoma realized he would have to take his sexual frustrations elsewhere. _

_He started with his own team mates, quickly running through the list and realizing that it would be a definite no go. Momo-sempai was too much of an in-deep-denial-idiot…if anyone was going to sway the power player it certainly wouldn't be Ryoma. Plus Momo-sempai was practically like a brother and Ryoma didn't do the whole "incest thing" it just wasn't him. Fuji-sempai was too much of a sadist and impossible to read. Oishi and Eiji-sempai had each other and trying to come between the Golden Pair was too much of headache to even consider. Inui-sempai had enough to deal with as he tried to balance his time and energy between Rikkaidai's own data specialist and Kaidou-sempai. _

_And the idea of Kawamura in any type of sexual setting kind of turned the prince's stomach. So he moved on to rival teams, the first one to spring to mind was Sanada but just as quickly as the idea had formulated in Ryoma's brain it died as a scary "Child Blessed By God" image popped up. Sanada and Yukimura had a thing anyone could see it. Whether it was that of master and whipping boy was yet to be seen but either way there was no coming between those two. The trickster and the gentleman were interesting enough but they were also too much of a mystery. And the sugar addict and half Brazilian pair just seemed like they were in their own little world. That left Kirihara…hmmm_

_Well when the devil ace didn't have a racket in hand and blood lust burning in his eyes he actually seemed pretty normal. Wasn't bad looking either. Kirihara had the kind of hair that screamed 'Yeah I just rolled out of bed and what?' It was lazy…it was carefree it reminded the prince of America. As much as Ryoma loved Japan sometimes he missed the easy going way of the States. Kirihara was horrible at the English language and didn't seem fond of Americans yet ironically he'd probably fit in quite well. If the sea-weed haired teen wasn't a tennis player he probably would be a skateboarder or a street performer. Rikkaidai was a pretty prestigious school, Ryoma wondered if they taught dance and if so did Kirihara know how to dance. In a lot of ways Kirihara seemed like a bit of a loner…did most of his practice alone…ate alone…walked around the camp alone…'the more I think about the more I'm convinced he's more like me.' _

_It kind of sucked that he hadn't interacted with Kirihara much. They only had a handful of conversations and 2 unofficial matches to date. Granted one of those matches were a bit of a blur to Ryoma but-_

"_Itai!"_

"_Hey watch where you're going dumba-oh Echizen it's you."_

_Heh, speak of the devil and he appears. Red suited him well. Really well. Way more than that bumble bee combo of black and yellow._

"_I'm just gonna cut right to the chase, let's have a match. If I win you'll to take care of this "itch" that's been bugging me."_

_Kirihara's eyes flickered and he rubbed his non-existent mustache "A match? Sure you want to take that risk?"_

_Ryoma didn't have time to bicker or rant or whatever Kirhara was expecting of him. He had an itch that he needed to get rid of ASAP "Shut up and follow me to the courts."_

_()()_

"Ryo, oi Ryo wake up!"

Ryoma groans and shifts over on to his side but he still deep into is dreams and Akaya can't seem to wake him. So he decides on a different tactic.

A devilish grin makes its way across the sea-weeded man's face and he rips the blanket away from the smaller man and effectively sends the sleeping prince crashing to the floor of their bedroom.

Ryoma wakes with a start, bright and wide golden eyes become even wider and then narrow as he glares up at his lover who has the audacity to snicker at his disheveled form.

"Morning, Ryo!"

Technically it is morning….3 AM to be exact and so it's still dark outside.

"Don't you morning me asshole! Why the hell did you throw me out of bed just now Akaya?!"

Akaya looks thoughtful but only for a moment before he responds with, "Well Ryo you were making a lot of strange noises in your sleep and I tried to drown it out but it just got louder and louder and louder and I had to make it stop."

"Idiot you could have broken my neck just now."

Feeling guilty and a little bit annoyed Akaya bounds off the bed and reaches for his lover, lightly pokes and prods the smaller man. He's no expert but he's pretty sure Ryoma is just fine…no broken bones hell there isn't even a bruise. Granted he only has the moonlight to go by but…Akaya's eyesight has never failed him before and he doubts it will start now. "You're not that fragile Ryo, stop acting like such a baby."

Ryoma's glare intensifies and he elbows Akaya in the ribs. "Yeah well at least I don't cry in public unlike you."

It's a low blow. Meant to hurt. And it does. But just a little bit and Akaya knows he kind of deserves it.

The former devil ace rubs his side and angrily protests "Hey! It's okay for a guy to shed tears so long as he has a good reason for it."

Ryoma rolls his eyes, "Whatever Akaya, bawling like a new born in front of all your colleagues just because you were passed up for a promotion is hardly a good reason. Face it **you still have lots more to work on."**

Green eyes burn red for a moment before fading away.

"Hit a nerve did I?" the prince is taunting Akaya and Akaya decides to retaliate by way of grabbing Ryoma by one of his beautiful well-muscled ankles and pulling him across the floor much like a bratty child would pull a stuffed toy or rag doll and twists the limb just hard enough to make his lover whine and cry out.

"Take it back, Ryo!"

"Yadda!"

()

And from that moment on happy couple begins a round of not-entirely playful but not exactly dangerous rough housing. Karupin's yowls and Inabauer's barking can be heard through the closed door but neither Akaya nor Ryoma notice…or choose to acknowledge it.

"Bastard! Let go!"

"Hehe where's all this energy coming from suddenly Ryo? Back at the restaurant you kept complaining about how tiered you we-ow! Damn it Ryo don't grab my hair!"

"I'll let go of your hair when you let go of my ear-I swear one of these days if I'm not careful you're gonna bite it off."

"Hehehe you seem to be confusing me with Fuji Syusuke, I would never go that far."

Not anymore. Akaya had come a long way since his demon days. Bathing his opponents red hadn't appealed to him in a long time. And for that matter neither did tennis. Sure it was still fun to rally the ball every now and then but that burning drive and determination he once had for the sport had dwindled greatly shortly after he entered his final year of high school. He couldn't really say why…maybe it was because all of his main rivals had ventured off to different parts of the globe or different professions? Or maybe it was because of the man currently pinned under him.

Suddenly all struggling and clawing stopped and Ryoma went still.

"What is it Ryo?"

Ryoma shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing. Anyway get off me Akaya, you're too heavy."

()()

TBC

So? Thoughts? Comments? Anyway I have no excuse other than I ship Momo and Sengoku and couldn't resist. Also I ship lots of pairings and yeah Ryoma is not exactly as slut…he's just horny, lol. Quick note: Because the characters are quite young in the flashback (canon ages of 13-15, etc any scenes/features of sexy times will be very PG-ish….real lemon/limes **will come later**. This I promise. =)

Yes I realize I'm dragging things out but this is for a reason. I also know I tend to be losing focus on Aka and Ryo from time to time but no worries…next chapter will be plenty of Akaya and Ryoma…including but not limited to "their first time" and a brunch with the parents. See you then? I hope so!

THANKS FOR READING/FOLLOWING!

~SLY~


	5. TRWR 5

Disclaimer: I am not Konomi-sensei because if I was I'd probably have better tennis knowledge! I own nothing!

A/N Ah some lovely commentary after the previous posts…good questions too. I thank you for taking your time out to share your thoughts and opinions with me. I will do my best to develop the characters and keep you entertained. Please enjoy!

AU (but not entirely), OOC-ness, spelling and grammatical errors, flashbacks, etc…

TRADING IN TENNIS RACKETS FOR WEDDING RINGS

005

()

Suddenly all struggling and clawing stopped and Ryoma went still. Not alarmed per se but definitely feeling concerned, Akaya inquired to know what was bothering his love. "What's wrong, Ryo?"

Ryoma, stubborn sometimes to a fault, shook his head. "It's nothing. Anyway get off me Akaya, you're too heavy."

_**Too heavy my ass**_, thought Akaya, knowing full well he only outweighed the other man by like 15 pounds or so. Something else was bothering his Ryo and the former devil ace wasn't going to stop prodding until he learned the truth. "You can't fool me Ryoma, we've been together for a long time now-what going on five years right?"

"Six…well I mean if you count our temporary separation point as still being together."

Akaya scowled. He did not want to think about the separation period of their relationship. It had been a very difficult time. He'd done a lot of stupid things because he couldn't stand being away from the younger man-couldn't fully accept that Ryo had wanted/needed space-needed time to figure things out.

"Fine whatever five and half years-anyway we've been through a lot and most of the time I feel like you and I are cut from the same cloth and yet other times-especially more recently I feel like we're complete strangers and-

Ryoma snorted, "Stop exaggerating Akaya, I'm the same I've always been."

"No you aren't. You're-tell me honestly are you having second thoughts? Do you want to call off the wedding?"

Just uttering the words aloud turned Akaya's stomach inside out and the long drawn out pause-the fact that his lover did not answer right away he could swear his heart stopped beating and a little piece of his soul died.

Bit dramatic. Yeah but he didn't care. Ryoma meant that damn much to him.

"Don't be stupid Akaya, of course I'm not calling off the wedding-not after Kaa-san went through all the trouble of getting us tickets and finding the perfect spot for the reception and not after Nanako-san rescheduled her own bridal shower, Oyaji rented a tux and Ryoga managed to get us a great discount on a luxury cruise for our honeymoon."

Honeymoon, hmm that sounded nice. Akaya hadn't given much thought to what would happen after the wedding and he kind of felt like a dumbass but- _**'No harm no foul still I don't know if a cruise is the right route to take.' **_Especially since he'd heard about his lovers' not so great experience with cruise line ships. _**He probably would have died on that cruise and we never would have gotten to where we are now if it wasn't for his brother and…Atobe-san.**_ _**Grrr why is it always that guy? I mean Atobe-san he seems to be everywhere-everywhere my Ryo goes there he is.**_

_**I shouldn't really hold that against him since he was just doing the right thing but why wasn't I there?' **__Akaya mentally berated himself for dwelling on the past and then he mentally berated himself for berating himself.__** 'Everything happens for a reason-so what if I didn't rescue him on a burning cruise ship and so what if I didn't help him regain his memories and okay maybe I kind of found some sort of twisted joy in watching him crumble in despair when Yukimura-buch-when Yukimura-san stripped him of his senses and okay I didn't exactly help him out at that castle in the British City but that's only because Sanada wouldn't let me out of his sight and-stop Akaya stop it! That's in the past. You and Ryo are way beyond that. Everything changed after the U-17 camp. Not right away but gradually-bit by bit things changed. Granted when he first came up to me I didn't know what the hell to think but- **_

Ryoma cut into Akaya's thoughts.

"Plus maybe Ryuzaki will stop blowing up my cell and my inbox. Hell if I didn't promise my parents that we'd meet them for brunch tomorrow I'd say we should just hop on a jet, fly to Vegas and tie the knot right now."

"You're really heartless sometimes Ryo."

"I'm not heartless Akaya, I'm a realist. Anyway this is stupid let's go back to bed my feet are getting cold."

A devilish grin pulled at Akaya's lips, "Is that you're subtle little way of telling me you want me to warm _you up, Ryo?"_

Ryoma's cheeks went slightly flush "Shut up dumbass! Now's not the time for meaningless sex."

"Meaningless?" Akaya looked highly offended "Nothing about sex is meaningless."

Ryoma only rolled his eyes and returned to the bed. "Whatever hurry up and join me or you can sleep on the floor!"

()()

The prince could be a real unpleasant bitch when he was denied his beauty rest. But the former devil ace didn't hold it against him and after a moment he rejoined his lover in the bed. Gently spooning the smaller man and planting a soft feather light kiss on Ryoma's neck, Akaya murmured, "_**Oyasumi, Ryo."**_

"I can't very well go to sleep if you're breathing on top of me now can I?" Underneath the layer of thick sarcasm was sprinkled affection. Akaya smiled and snuggled even closer. Ryoma grumbled lightly but did not move. "Sweet dreams, _**Akaya."**_

_**()**_

_RESUME U-17 FLASHBACK (Ryoma's proposition/challenge to Akaya)_

_Kirihara grinned rather sadistically "Your funeral."_

_Ryoma paused in his tracks and turned to the taller boy, raised a brow unimpressed "You really think your lame threats are going to scare me?"_

_Rumor had it Kirihara was turning over a new leaf. Apparently he'd earned his angel wings and a halo and everything while Ryoma had been training on the mountain with the other losers._

"_Suit yourself don't say I didn't warn you."_

_Again if Ryoma were in his normal state of mind AKA not horny he'd probably shoot a scathing remark at the devil ace and then proceed to destroy Kirihara out on the court but alas…Ryoma couldn't bring himself to care. "Whatever. I think the real reason you're stalling is because you're afraid of losing again." His taunts lacked their usual edge but Kirihara was too busy being Kirihara to notice. _

_Rather predictably, as if on cue really, Kirihara's eyes flashed and he bristled angrily "I'll fucking paint you __**RED!"**_

_Ryoma grinned "You can certainly try" and continued towards the courts knowing Kirihara was sure to follow._

_()()_

"_The rules are simple. One set match. If we go into a tie breaker though I doubt we'll get to that point we'll deal with it when the time comes-if the time comes." Not wasting any time pussy footing around Ryoma started out with his left hand and easily fired the first shot and scored before Akaya had even finished tying his shoe laces. Not that it mattered since the devil ace easily returned the next ball and retaliated with interest. As was his style. _

_Ryoma wasn't an idiot. He really didn't fancy getting into an all-out war with Kirihara when his body still ached from all the rigorous training in the mountains. This is not to say that he could slack off either but-_

"_When I win you will help me take care of this itch I've been having lately."_

_Kirihara looked equally confused and suspicious. "Is that some kind of trick question or code, Echizen? Trying to distract me are you? Hehe nice try but it won't work."_

_After that as if to prove his point Kirihara followed up by slamming three consecutive balls over the net. "Been practicin'-been improving, Shiraishi-san says I can be just as good you or that Kintaro guy once I find my inner zen."_

_Inner zen? Although Ryoma was loosely familiar with the term he didn't see how it could apply to Kirihara or Shiraishi for that matter._

"_Well, whatever makes you sleep better at night."_

_Green eyes narrowed. "Bastard."_

_()()_

_While it certainly wouldn't go down as one of the best practice matches in history it definitely wouldn't be considered the worst either. Falling just short of the top 15 actually. And it was kind of fun. Well once Kirihara gave up on trying to trying to dye both Ryoma and the court around them crimson red. For a while the two had stopped keeping score and the scathing remarks and death threats had died out and become casual conversation and mild inquiries._

_Though this probably had more to do with the sun setting and both players running out of energy. The fact that Ryoma let Kirihara win had nothing to do with it._

_()()_

"_So what did you guys do up there? How did you end up in the mountains in the first place?"_

"_Well I don't really remember but it was definitely an experience I won't soon forget." Not entirely true. Ryoma remembered everything quite clearly but he wasn't about to tell Kirihara that._

"_Did you see a bear?"_

"_No. No bears but Coach Nyudo was kind of built like one."_

"_Coach Nyudo? Whose that?"_

_Ryoma shook his head. "Only black-jackets are privy to that knowledge, nothing for you to concern yourself with."_

"_I'm just curious."_

"_Curiosity killed the cat, as they say."_

"_They who? Stop stalling Echizen and just tell me!"_

"_Why should I?"_

"_Because I won the match."_

"_What does that have to do with anything?" _

"_You're still stalling and that can only mean one thing…you want something else from me don't you?"_

_Wow! Kirihara was a lot more observant than Ryoma initially gave him credit for. Well now that he had the devil ace's attention he might as well make the most of it. "Not exactly it's more like I NEED something from you."_

"_Right, right that itch of yours," Kirihara looked thoughtful for a moment and then his face scrunched up in distaste "Wait! Did you catch something up on that mountain? Like some kind of skin rash or something? Gross! No offense Echizen but you should really seek out a professional for a rash-there's got be some sort of medical staff around here somewhere."_

_What the hell was Kirihara talking about? Ryoma almost felt like slapping the other boy but A) he wasn't the type and B) Akaya definitely wouldn't agree to help him out then not that the seaweed devil had agreed in the first place but he was convinced he'd be able to sway/charm the older teen into saying yes. _

_Becoming more freaked out by the minute Kirihara started backing away from Ryoma. "I'll uh go get someone." He looked like he would bolt any moment and Ryoma couldn't have that and so he grabbed Kirihara "Wait! Stop!"_

_Kirihara didn't exactly wail but he did make a painful sounding almost inhuman squeak of noise just then. Any louder and he would alert the rest of the camp and then Ryoma would have to endure another day of hormones on overdrive and no! Thinking quickly the prince pounced on the devil-ace effectively knocking him to the ground. Kirihara let out a grunt of pain and cursed "What the hell Echizen-? Get off me!"_

_But Ryoma did not listen. Refused to listen. "Not a chance, now that I've got you right where I need you, you're not going anywhere."_

_Kirihara looked about ready to cry but not from fear more so because the way Ryoma had fallen he was currently crushing his private parts. "Okay fine whatever I'll scratch your itch or whatever just stop get off!"_

_Ryoma, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish murmured an apology "Gomen I-_

"_Save it!" Kirihara hissed and pushed the prince away from him with a harsh shove. "Just tell me where to scratch and I'll scratch-woah! Wait Echizen why are you pulling down your shorts?!"_

_Ryoma decided to ignore the painful fact that Kirihara was oblivious and he'd given him to much credit earlier and pulled his shorts down the rest of the way. _

_It took a minute…well several long minutes until things finally clicked in Kirihara's head. And after that the devil ace changed his tune, red tongue darting out as he licked his lips, a seductive-lilt or well the closest thing to a lilt a teenage boy could manage anyway curled his tone, "Why Echizen if you wanted sexual release, all you had to do was come out and ask me."_

'_**But I did ask you'**__ the prince grumbled inwardly while on the outside he grinned, "Noted. Next time I need something from you-_

"_Who said anything about next time? This is a one-time shot," Kirihara purred as he reached out for Ryoma, "I promise I'll be gentle."_

_Gentle and Kirihara in the same context-not likely!_

_Ryoma was not gonna let the other boy intimidate him though. After all he sought release and Kirihara was gonna give it to him. "Who said anything about being gentle?"_

_Kirihara glared at Ryoma. Ryoma glared at Kirihara. _

"_If you're thinking about backing out-_

"_Who the hell is backing out-? Hurry up and finish stripping?!"_

_Yeah right strip out in broad daylight…okay okay so the sun was about to set but still-_

"_Are you some kind of idiot? Wait! Don't answer that-_

"_Heh, cheeky little bastard!"_

"_**Calling the kettle black."**_

"_I don't know what the hell that's s'posed ta mean but if you're not gonna strip then I'll do it."_

_A rustling of clothes. Even though Ryoma was tempted he did not let his gaze slip from Kirihara's less-than-angelic face. "So…_

"_What are you asking me for? You're the one who-_

"_Fine you greedy bastard get over here!" _

_()()_

_Ryoma, under normal circumstances and a clear frame of mind would not take orders from anyone (except for Tezuka-buchou but well he's the one responsible for making him feel these things and acting abnormally in the first place so it was best not to think of him) but at the moment he was horny and okay it was probably the itch or whatever taking over but Kirihara was kind of even more attractive when he acted all demanding. The prince snorted, '__**He probably picked it up from Sanada.'**_

_Jumping to the wrong conclusion Kirihara snarled, "We'll see whose laughing when I've got you on your knees with your bony ass in the air and face crushed into the ground."_

"_Whatever. There's more than one way to fuck without you having to look at my bony ass." Ryoma snarled back just as viciously and once more tackled Kirihara to the ground and then proceeded to straddle the dark-haired teen. "Hurry up and do me!"_

_Kirihara looked equally amused and confused. "Er-I think this position has to be a joint effort."_

_Golden cat-shaped eyes narrowed, "You think?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

"_Well I uh just look I haven't done this that much so-_

_Ryoma rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue, "Che, so you're practically a virgin then is that what you're telling me?"_

_2 virgins. Not exactly what the prince had been hoping for. It was one thing if he was inexperience but-_

"_Not exactly I mean I've done it a few times but they were with girls and unless there's some big secret you'd like to tell me Echizen I-mph!"_

_Ryoma, not wanting to hear anymore, silenced Kirihara with his hand, "Never mind, we'll figure it out together than I guess."_

_()_

_Sometimes the only way to get something done is just to well…do it! _

"_The hell it's not fitting! Why isn't it-ouch gah-damn it let go of my hair Echizen!" Kirihara really did have very nice hair in all honesty Ryoma would rather be petting the curly locks rather than pulling em but Kirihara was being an idiot. A rough idiot._

"_Stop trying to force it! Obviously you're doing something wrong!" This was ridiculous. At this rate he'd never reach completion. _

_Kirihara frowned and scrunched his brows together "This would probably be a lot easier if you were wetter."_

_Wetter? What an idiot! Ryoma was beginning to regret his decision to proposition Kirihara in the first place "What the hell do you expect me to do, grow a vagina?"_

_Kirihara snorted, "No but you don't look like you're having much fun right now."_

"_That's because you suck!" the prince snarked childishly._

_Just when it seemed like all hope was lost a light bulb seemed to go off in Kirihara's head. "Suck huh? Yeah that's it! That's what we forgot! Okay I got it now we can totally make this work."_

_Ryoma rolled his eyes but didn't bother arguing with Kirihara. _

"_Suck on these." The older boy commanded._

_Fingers? As in he should lick Kirihara's fingers? Well actually that made a lot of sense. Why neither him nor the sea-weed devil had thought of it sooner well…it was best not to dwell on that either. _

_()()_

_After 15-20 minutes of fumbling and a hell of a lot of bitching and snarling and hissing the devil ace and the prince managed to find some sort of rhythm. And bit by bit Ryoma could feel it-he was nearing the edge-the great white abyss-the heavenly paradise was right around the corner-just a little more-a little m-_

"_Ne, Echizen?"_

_Why the hell was Kirihara trying to strike up another conversation? What was the point? Ryoma opened his heavily glazed eyes a crack but did not stop moving "What is it?"_

"_Well it's just…this whole thing is weird," A foreign look passed over Kirihara's face just then. Ryoma wondered what it meant. Kirihara didn't leave him wondering for long. "There's something like well over 50 guys at this camp, why the hell did you ask me?"_

_Ryoma didn't answer. Didn't feel like explaining something that Kirihara wasn't likely to understand anyway. "Never mind that just hurry up and get me off!"_

"_Pushy, pushy but ya know what Echizen," green eyes sparkled, " I like it!"_

_()()_

FLASH END

()()

Sleep did not come to Ryoma again for a while. He lay awake staring into darkness and let his thoughts carry him away.

Marriage. Marriage to Kirihara Akaya of all people. Could be worse he supposed-he could have been saddled up with Ryuzaki-even after all these years she was still obsessed with him. What a horrible thing to say but also sadly it was kind of the truth. He shuddered at the nightmarish thought. Over the years Ryuzaki's behavior had gone far beyond a simple crush, it was disturbing and Ryoma was beginning to wonder if he should consider getting a restraining order. It's always the quiet and shy ones or so the saying went. And boy oh boy was it true when it came to Ryuzaki. So annoying and her tennis skills hadn't improved much either.

Ryoma shifted slightly careful not to move too much lest he wake his lover. Lover, fiancé, soon to be husband.

Weird. How did it all happen? Sometimes it seemed like only yesterday he arrived in Japan…at other times Ryoma felt old, really old. Well in a sense the prince had always felt old, old in spirit, mature for his age…at least where tennis was concerned. And maybe that's where all his troubles started…he was mature in the ways of tennis…ergo he was attracted to older and vastly more mature boys…well most of em' were mature. The ones that mattered, the ones that affectionately viewed him as a nuisance, a little brother, a brat, a rival.

Each one equally special and irritating in their own way. Tezuka-buchou had been the first, always more of a captain than an actual friend and rival nevertheless the man had seen potential…or more accurately he had seen shades of his own personality and tennis skills in Ryoma.

Buchou-the ultimate leader-the self-sacrificing man-if he had a sense of humor at all he rarely showed it and yet there was something in that gentle hazel-brown eyed gaze-something in that high-commanding tone that had made Ryoma's blood just sing. Admiration laced with jealousy was the prince's original thought/theory but with each passing day-with each unofficial match-and a long term-too long absence something changed. It was more than just respect, more than fascination, more than –yeah it was love or some early stage of it.

The damn monkey king had been the one to open his eyes though the prince was loathe to admit it.

Atobe hadn't just had insight into his opponents weaknesses on the tennis court, no the monkey king had had insight off the court as well. Could see right through Ryoma, taunted the prince in a way that only he could. Atobe really was a bastard or had been quite the bastard in the beginning-what the hell had he been doing at the street courts anyway-a self-righteous king conversing with mere plebeians or well hitting on them anyway. What the hell was it about Tachibana's little sister that inspired such a reaction? It didn't matter. Hadn't mattered. All of it was so long ago. So long ago…and what was-no when was it that the monkey king's presence became almost as vitally important as Tezuka-buchou's? At what point did Ryoma start seeking out Atobe's company-looking forward to their bantering-feeling an unusual and entirely unhealthy and unexplained surge of jealousy shoot through him when the two captains chatted amicably?

Honestly if Ryoma had been thinking clearly-if he'd been smart about things he would set his sights on a more reasonable choice like Sanada never mind that the man had been (still was) practically chained to Yukimura's hip and all. Still he could have found a way-some sort of solution except it hadn't been that easy-

The prince scrunched up his face in the dark and could hear Akaya snoring softly next to his ear.

'_**Idiot.'**_

Akaya had been more a safe choice rather than smart. Well no perhaps safe wasn't the right word since his sea-weed headed lover had had a rather nasty violent streak during their youth and had been quick to lose his temper.

It wasn't entirely his fault as somewhere down the line Akaya had been officially diagnosed to have multiple personality disorders. Ryoma had selected Akaya on a whim, he'd said as much many a time and it had in fact started as a such but it had turned into something else-not right away-life wasn't a fairy tale after all but after a series of different events it had happened-the brief intermission during the final rounds of the U-17, heh well they had made their own intermission, the power outage at the Atobe family ski lodge-the picnic by the lake-the-

Ryoma's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Akaya called out in his sleep.

'…_Santa is real! He's real damn it!'_

Ryoma snorted lightly. His lover could be such a child. But it was kind of cute if a little bit pathetic. Christmas was Akaya's favorite holiday. He enjoyed it almost as much as his own birthday. Ryoma promised but had yet to deliver a perfect Christmas for Akaya. Perhaps this year would be the year…?

Ah well there was no need to rush-they had plenty of time.

'_Heh, see I told you he was real Ryo I told you.'_

_Ryoma shook his head. '__**I'm marrying a child. I wonder if this is how Kaa-chan felt before she tied the knot with Oyaji.'**_

In all honesty sometimes it was hard to believe that he took the bottom role in their relationship when in a lot of ways Akaya is ten times more clingy, whiny and needy then Ryoma ever is and yet at the same time Akaya also had endless amounts of energy, always knew just what to do with his hands and made sure that Ryoma reached the brilliant white paradise first.

His fiancé was nothing if not considerate. And Ryoma appreciated this. Honest he did.

Still…even though the prince was very happy in his relationship with Akaya way back deep in the darkest recesses of his mind he felt like something was missing. Which was unfair and Ryoma was not proud to feel this way but he couldn't help it. Sometimes the heart just wants what the heart wants and try, try as he might Ryoma's heart did not just beat for one.

Akaya knew, on some level, he was sure the other man knew and yet neither of them was completely honest with the other. Because…it would only further complicate things. Plus there was no sense in getting all emotionally worked up on something that would never go anywhere…and so Ryoma reserved or did his best to keep his not-so-secret wants and desires in dreamland only.

Dreams of the past…dreams of the future…dreams of what could have been…or what once was…dreams just dreams. Dreams that were sometimes memories…and Akaya couldn't/shouldn't hold that against him.

()()

_**TBC**_

_**()()**_

_**YES I KNOW I PROMISED A BRUNCH WITH THE PARENTS…sorry I didn't deliver but I hope you enjoyed this chapter all the same. **_

_**I PROMISE WE'LL RETURN TO AKAYA's VIEWPOINT SOON. AND ALSO SINCE I KEEP MENTIONING HIM ATOBE WILL SHOW UP SOON.**_

_**HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!**_

_**~SLY~**_


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